Photo: Satoru Mitsuta

Ken Takaseki

Permanent Conductor: Sapporo Symphony Orchestra

Born in Tokyo in 1955, Ken Takaseki started studying the piano and the violin in a musically affluent environment. After attending the Toho Gakuen Music High School in Tokyo, he graduated from the Toho Gakuen School of Music in 1978 as a violin major. His violin teacher at Toho was the renowned professor Saburo Sumi. His orchestral training began during high school, and his conducting teachers included Hideo Saito, Seiji Ozawa and Kazuyoshi Akiyama. In 1976, he received lessons from Franco Ferrara while Mr. Ferrara was visiting Japan. As a viola player in Ensemble Adam, he won the second place (with no first place) in the Min-on Competition for Chamber Music in 1977. Then in November of the same year, he was the first prize winner in the Herbert Von Karajan Conductors' Concours, Japan, and consequently conducted the Berlin Philharmonic at the finals and in a public concert.

Upon the invitation from Mr. Herbert Von Karajan, Ken Takaseki attended the Orchestra Academy of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from autumn of 1978. While in the Academy, he performed in the Berlin Philharmonic as an extra viola and keyboard player to develop a sense of orchestral pursuit. In March 1979, he filled Mr. Karajan's place for a camera rehearsal, which won a high recognition and led to his fellow position for the orchestra's concerts and tours until 1985. During this period, he was appointed Mr. Karajan's assistant conductor especially for video and audio recording performances.

In 1981, Ken Takaseki participated in the Tanglewood Music Festival. As a full scholarship recipient for the conducting programme at the Berkshire Music Centre, he studied under Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Masur, André Previn, Igor Markevich, Maurice Abravanel, and Gustav Meier. He acted as an assistant conductor for the Boston Symphony Orchestra's opera performance of Boris Godunov. In October of the same year, he made his debut as a conductor at a subscription concert of the Filharmonien Bergen. The debut was followed by winning of such awards as second prize at the 7th Malko International Competition for Young Conductors, Copenhagen, in 1983, and first prize at the 3rd Hans Swarowsky International Conductors' Competition in Vienna in 1984. The final round in Vienna was broadcast on Eurovision. He made his Japanese debut in 1985, through the recommendation of Mr. Akeo Watanabe, at a subscription concert of Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. The homecoming concert was highly acclaimed and launched his career thereafter.

Ken Takaseki's performance with the NHK Symphony Orchestra in February 1991 was highly praised, and in March of the same year, he was invited by New York's Carnegie Hall and performed in the Hall's centennial celebration concert with the Toho Gakuen Orchestra. He afterwards made a French tour with the orchestra and performed at the International Music Festival of Evian. In 1994, he realized a successful European tour for the Gunma Symphony Orchestra, which included concerts at "Spring of Prague" and "Wiener Festwochen" among seven cities. He was awarded the 1996 Music Award of Akeo Watanabe Music Foundation.

Ken Takaseki's guest conducting appearances include: Deutsches Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin, WDR Sinfonieorchester Cologne, Wiener Symphoniker, Symphony Orchestra of Austrian Radio, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Filharmonien Bergen, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Denmark's Radio, Odense Symphony Orchestra, South Jutland Symphony Orchestra, Klangforum Wien and Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra. Other than Gunma Symphony Orchestra and Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, he has repeatedly appeared with most Japanese orchestras, such as NHK Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.

Among solo performers he has collaborated with are: André Watts, Yefim Bronfman, Ivo Pogorelich, Leon Fleischer, Ingrid Haebler, Eugene Istomin, Vlad Perlemuter, Noriko Ogawa, Maxim Vengerov, János Starker, Yo-yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Anner Bylsma, James Galway, François Leroux, Karl Leister, Michael Collins, Radek Baborák, Frank Lloyd, Christian Lindberg. In particular, he has established special relationships of trust with Itzhak Perlman and György Pauk, who have co-appeared with Takaseki on every Japanese visit.

In the field of opera, Ken Takaseki has conducted the Nikikai Opera Company's productions of Die Zauberflöte (1990) and Le nozze di Figaro (1991). His other achievements in opera include Tosca (1998) and Falstaff (2003) with Gunma Symphony Orchestra, L'enfant et sortileges (1999) and L'heure Espagnole with Osaka Century Orchestra, and Curlew River (1997) under the auspices of Sumida Triphony Hall. In September 2005, he conducted Orfeo und Eurydike (Japanese translation by Ogai Mori) in a special concert given by the Performing Art Center at Tokyo University of Fine Arts, and in October La clemenza di Tito with the University's Opera Department. Both performances received enthusiastic reviews. He will conduct Nikikai's production of Die Zauberflöte for the second time in July 2007. Furthermore, he assisted Seiji Ozawa in Wozzeck (the opera's first performance by Japanese musicians in 1985) with an outstanding success.

Ken Takaseki has been active as a conductor for more than 25 years. He has cultivated an extensive repertoire--from Baroque to Contemporary music. It must be emphasized that especially in Classical and Romantic compositions, he has made distinctive efforts to explore textual references. He has verified composers' manuscript scores, if necessary, to approach true images of the works and moreover to deliberate on initial performance style. His well known two-time complete performances of Beethoven Symphonies confirm his accomplishments in that aspect. Prior to the performance of Mahler's Second Symphony with the Gunma Symphony Orchestra in March 2006, he made contact with the editor of Internationaler Gustav Mahler Gesellschaft. This resulted in the heartfelt performance based on their new edition ahead of its publication. Regarding music of the 20th Century, such as Richard Strauss, Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Bartók, Honegger and Britten, thorough research on the composers' own premiere recordings determined his interpretations, and his outstanding and efficient baton technique, fostered through the many years' of experience, has established his reputation in that field. His performances on the contemporary works such as those of Cage, Boulez, Ligeti, Lutoslawski, Berio, and Takemitsu have been highly acclaimed. Furthermore, many composers, including Luigi Nono, Salvatore Sciarrino, Maki Ishii, and Toshio Hosokawa, have entrusted the premieres of their works to his directorship. The wide possibility of programme founded upon such extensive repertoire has constantly made Ken Takaseki one of the most admired and desired conductors in the world.

Promoters please note: if you wish to include this biography in a concert programme etc, please contact Hazard Chase to ensure that you receive the most up to date version.
Email: Emily Good